Fake currency notes racket busted in Andhra Pradesh, one arrested

Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh: Police today busted an inter-state fake currency racket and seized counterfeit notes having face value of Rs 10,000 from the kingpin of the gang in Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh.

"G Mastan sahib alias Mastan (50) was apprehended from Badvel and fake notes with the face value of Rs 10,000 recovered from him," said SP GVG Ashok Kumar.

Mastan, a native of Dhone in Kurnool district, has allegedly been involved in many such cases in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Kumar said.

"Mastan used to receive fake notes from Farakka and Attaramaile villages bordering Bangladesh and exchange them through his gang members in both the states," the SP added.

Recently, one Chinna Reddy of Badvel paid fake notes with denomination of Rs 1000 to a bank towards repayment of his loan. The bank lodged a complaint after noticing that the notes were fake, the officer said, adding that a special team was formed to solve the case.

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Police had arrested four members of the gang and recovered fake notes, in denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1000, with a face value of Rs 1.97 lakh. "Based on the inputs provided by them, police nabbed Mastan," the SP said.

"Mastan was convicted along with Abdul Karim Telgi in a fake stamp papers printing case and awarded a six-year imprisonment and was released in December 2013," he said.

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Mastan, while on parole in 2011, had also been involved in the exchange of fake currency notes and bringing them into circulation.

"Mastan has links with his former jailmates Rustam and Raheem of Karnataka, who were also involved in the fake note business. Many cases were pending against Mastan in Chitrdurga and Banglore in Karnataka and in Kadapa district. He is also wanted in connection with a similar case in Badvel since 2011," he said.

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